19th Annual Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races to be Held Sunday at Franklin Park

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Posted Thursday, 23 October, 2008

BOSTON, MA – With 800 participants per year, the Mayor's Cup at Franklin Park in Boston continues to be one of the nation's top open cross country events. This year's event will be held on Sunday, October 26, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The event is presented by the Boston Athletic Association and adidas, and directed by USATF-New England and the Boston Centers for Youth & Families.

The Mayor's Cup offers races for all ages and abilities. Kids can take part in one of three youth events, designed for ages 10-and-under, 11-12 and 13-14, and held from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Next on the schedule is the Franklin Park 5K, an open race for men and women of all ability levels, at 10:50 a.m. Then, at 11:30 a.m. and noon, respectively, will be the Women's Championship 5K and Men's Championship 8K for the top athletes.

Headlining the championship races are 2006 men's champion Stephen Chemlany (Westchester, NY / KEN) and two-time defending women's champion Aziza Ayilu (Westchester, NY / ETH), both of the Westchester Track Club.

Looking to challenge Chemlany for the men's title will be Houston University alum Stephen Magness (Chino Hills, CA), who owns a PR in the mile of 4:01.02, and North Carolina State alum Stephen Furst (Raleigh, NC). Furst was an NCAA Southeast Region all-regional selection in cross country in 2006.

Ayilu will face a deep and experienced women's field as she attempts to become the first woman or man to win three consecutive Mayor's Cup titles. Samia Akbar (Herndon, VA) is coming off an 18th-place finish at last April's U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon in Boston, and she has twice placed fourth in the Mayor's Cup (2005 and 2006). Mary Cullen (Providence, RI / IRL), runner-up in 2005, and Maureen McCandless (Syracuse, NY), fourth last year, both return looking to improve on their best Mayor's Cup placings. Newcomers Barbara Parker (Tallahassee, FL / GBR), a 2008 Olympian and British record-holder in the steeplechase, and Jess Minty (Blowing Rock, NC), a Division III cross country All-American while at Colby College, will also look to challenge Ayilu.

The Mayor's Cup is open to the public, and race-day registration is available until the start of the races. Proceeds from the event are used to maintain Franklin Park.

Full results and a race report will be available at www.baa.org on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday's schedule of events:10:00 a.m. Boys' & Girls' 10-and-under 1.1-mile
10:15 a.m. Boys' & Girls' 11-12 1.1-mile
10:30 a.m. Boys' & Girls' 13-14 1.1-mile
10:50 a.m. Franklin Park 5K
11:30 a.m. Women's Championship 5K
Noon Men's Championship 5K

[B]Past Mayor's Cup Team Champions
Year Men Women
2007 Boston Athletic Association RIADHA/Shoes 4 Africa
2006 Westchester Track Club Westchester Track Club
2005 Boston Athletic Association Westchester Track Club
2004 Boston Athletic Association Boston Athletic Association
2003 Boston Athletic Association Boston Athletic Association
2002 Bryn Mawr Running Club Boston Athletic Association
2001 Boston Athletic Association Indiana Invaders
2000 Reebok Boston Boston Athletic Association
1999 Life University Syracuse Chargers
1998 Reebok Enclave Boston Athletic Association
1997 New Balance ASICS Club East
1996 New Balance Boston Running Club
1995 Life University Boston Running Club

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